When “Star Wars” the film came out in 1977, it was all by itself. This is not the case anymore. The universe of properties belonging to the Star Wars franchise has expanded to the point where Star Wars is everywhere. While 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and the upcoming “Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi” reflect the fact that film is the franchise’s killer app, the franchise, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, can be seen in everything from action figures to TV shows to novels to comic books to paper napkins to T-shirts and backpacks. Name an item and there’s a Star Wars version of it.

That reflects the power and responsibility of Lucasfilm, the company visionary George Lucas built.

Unique workplace

It’s also a workplace with a unique esprit de corps. Lucasfilm executive vice president Lynwen Brennan said: “I’d probably go to my job even if I didn’t get paid, but I don’t tell anyone that. It sounds trite, but it’s all about the people. The people we work with are all so passionate about what they do. Star Wars means so much to them. We put every ounce of our being into continuing George Lucas’ legacy and telling meaningful stories. It’s the people I get to work with every day. Then there are the people outside the company, especially when I see the effect Star Wars has on them.”

Lucasfilm Story Group creative executive Carrie Beck agreed: “It is a real gift and pleasure to work on something that means so much to so many people. There’s something so incredibly powerful in that, and finding new ways of getting folks into that franchise.”

Everyday magic

There is an everyday magic at work at Lucasfilm, as attested to by fellow Lucasfilm Story Group creative executive Diana Williams. “The most exciting part for me is within the halls of Lucasfilm, where there’s a DNA of innovation, curiosity and always striving,” she said. “The most exciting part of the day is when I get an e-mail from someone in the building saying, come see what I made. It’s exciting to ask, ‘how we will be continuing to push this story, how will we continue to push Star Wars?’”

Someone who appreciates this effort is Lucasfilm Story Group creative executive Pablo Hidalgo: “I have the distinction of coming from the fan community. It wasn’t a plan to be where I am today. As a teenager, I saw that Lucasfilm was just different. The films and the content that they made just stood out. There was just something about it. Working at Lucasfilm is just something that means so much to me and I see this as my way of giving back. I know what it is to be a kid enthralled with what Lucasfilm is making and I can instill that in kids today.”

Original rebellion

In many ways, the folks at Lucasfilm identifies heavily with the gritty rebels who battle the Empire in the Star Wars universe, the people who, in Williams’ words, “have the audacity to overcome the impossible.” Williams went on say: “We are the original rebellion. George had to get together a band of rebels who believed and beat the odds to create something incredible. That maverick spirit that defies convention exists in every person who works there today. It’s in everything that we do. We’re always looking at something new to bring to the screen or to story. We’re still living George’s legacy.”

Brennan expands on this, explaining how cognizant they are of Star Wars in every product they release. “We understand that Star Wars lives in the movies, in the TV shows, in publishing, in toys and in the games. The wonderful thing with these stories being so meaningful is that people want to have an experience and that extend beyond the first experience they have. We look at that very holistically within the company. We’re pretty unique in the entertainment industry that everything from film production to TV production to publishing to consumer products to sound editing, its all under one roof. When we think about our stories and how to tell them, a lot of thought goes into asking, ‘why tell a story on a certain platform, who are we reaching and what do we want them to feel?’ That energy builds on itself in the company. There’s a renaissance now for Star Wars and Lucasfilm and that enthusiasm is infectious.”

Collaborative

Interestingly, this ties in with the Lucasfilm working environment, which Beck characterizes as: “a very collaborative environment.”

This also highlights the value of the Lucasfilm Story Group. This is the select group of people who literally tell the Star Wars saga. They decide what happens and this is reflected in the products. Hidalgo explained: “We’re the development group. We creatively work to figure out what the future of the Star Wars narrative will be and we work individually as a group with the various creative talent we bring to the table—be they screenwriters or theme park designers—you name it, we help guide their story. We don’t tell them what story to tell but we find that story together. Because we are the connection point where all this creative activity is happening and we have the rare opportunity in Lucasfilm to generate all this energy within one company, for various endeavors, we see it all and we make sure it’s all in sync. For fans who want to believe Star Wars is a real place, we make it seamless.”

Brennan put it best: “It all goes back to story. No matter where they come in, they know they’re getting a great Star Wars story. Once you come in, we‘ve got you.” —RUEL S. DE VERA